Now In Session

Click the header to enter the National Public Forum. Opens in a new tab. 

WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW 

Members can:

• Join public discussions and create new topics within the forum's subject areas.

• Comment on and respond to other members' arguments.

• Vote in issue polls and follow the running results.

• Explain the reasoning behind their votes.

• Challenge, defend, or propose alternatives to the ideas presented by Down By Law.

• Participate in discussions surrounding future recorded and live debates.

COMING SOON:  THE PEOPLE'S ASSEMBLY

The next phase of In Session will introduce an experimental People's Assembly.

A 50-question civics examination will be used as an entrance examination for Assembly membership. Registered members who meet the established passing standard will qualify as Assembly Members, while the broader community will continue to participate as General Members.

On selected questions, this will allow In Session to record and compare two results:

The General Member Vote — the judgment of the broader participating community.

The People's Assembly Vote — the judgment of members who have demonstrated the required level of civic knowledge.

Future sessions may also include recorded or live debates, public questions, special Assembly votes, and voting before and after a debate so that changes in opinion can be measured.

At this stage, these are not governmental elections and carry no official public authority. In Session is a civic experiment: an opportunity to test ideas about informed participation, deliberation, voting, and self-government in practice rather than merely arguing about them in theory.

The Down By Law discussion community is hosted on Discourse. Selecting ENTER IN SESSION will open the forum in a new browser tab. Read. Vote. Debate. Make your case.